Media Assets

Press Releases

Pinnacle Foods Announces Expansion in Fayette County, Illinois

Company plans to add approximately 90 jobs and invest in state-of-the-art manufacturing.

ST. ELMO, IL. (December 5, 2013)—Pinnacle Foods today announced its plans to locate the manufacturing of its recently-acquired Wish-Bone® salad dressings business at its existing plant in St. Elmo, Illinois. The plant currently employs about 85 people and is planning to add approximately 90 more to its roster in the first half of 2015, as the Company prepares to bring Wish-Bone production in-house. The company plans to invest $40-$50 million over the next 12-18 months to purchase new equipment, expand the plant footprint and improve existing infrastructure.

Pinnacle completed the acquisition of the Wish-Bone and Western® salad dressings business from Unilever in October 2013 and previously announced plans to consolidate production of the products into an existing Pinnacle facility. St. Elmo was identified as the best location for the integration, given its geographic location and proven expertise in liquid filling and processing. The St. Elmo plant currently manufactures Pinnacle’s Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups, and Open Pit® barbecue sauces.

“Pinnacle Foods is pleased to be expanding in Illinois and adding capacity for the salad dressings business in our St. Elmo facility,” stated Tony Fernandez, Executive Vice President and Chief Supply Chain Officer at Pinnacle Foods. “The efficiencies we expect to generate in this new facility will enable us to invest to reinvigorate the iconic Wish-Bone brand. We would like to thank the state of Illinois, Fayette County and the city of St. Elmo for their support and help with our plans for this very important expansion.”

Pinnacle Foods will receive support in the form of grants from the state of Illinois and assistance from the city of St. Elmo and Fayette County to bring investment and job opportunities to the St. Elmo area.

###

About Pinnacle Foods Inc.
In more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. Pinnacle Foods is a Top 1000 Company ranked on Fortune Magazine's 2013 Top 1000 companies list. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Parsippany, NJ, our business employs an average of 4,400 employees. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 10 of the 12 major categories in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® shelf-stable pickles, Mrs. Butterworth's® and Log Cabin® table syrups, Wish-Bone® and Western® salad dressings, Armour® canned meats, Brooks® and Nalley® chili and chili ingredients, Duncan Hines® Comstock® and Wilderness® pie and pastry fruit fillings and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye®, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie's®, and Freshlike® frozen vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® complete bagged frozen meals, Van de Kamp's® and Mrs. Paul's® frozen prepared seafood, Hungry-Man® frozen dinners and entrées, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Lender's® frozen and refrigerated bagels, and Celeste® frozen pizza. Our Specialty Foods Division manages Tim's Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian® kettle style potato chips, Erin's® popcorn, Snyder of Berlin® and Husman's® snacks in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at http://www.pinnaclefoods.com.